https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Article_14_of_the_Constitution_of_IndiaArticle 14 of the Constitution of India - Revision history2026-07-31T16:17:41ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Article_14_of_the_Constitution_of_India&diff=184137&oldid=prev>Jr8825 at 13:57, 4 October 20212021-10-04T13:57:58Z<p></p>
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'''Article 14''' of the [[Constitution of India]] provides for equality before the law or equal protection of the laws within the [[States and union territories of India|territory of India]]. It states:<blockquote>"The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.india.gov.in/sites/upload_files/npi/files/coi_part_full.pdf|title=The Constitution of India|last=|first=|date=|website=|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref></blockquote><br />
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== Reasonable Classification and Non-Arbitrariness ==<br />
Article 14 guarantees equality to all persons{{efn|General Clauses Act, 1897, Section 3, clause 42 defines person to include any company or association or body of individuals,<br />
whether incorporated or not.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.delhihighcourt.nic.in/library/acts_bills_rules_regulations/General%20Clause%20Act.pdf|title=General Clauses Act, 1897}}</ref>}}, including [[Indian nationality law|citizens]], [http://www.mca.gov.in/MinistryV2/companiesact2013.html corporations], and [[The Foreigners Act, 1946|foreigners]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://prsindia.org/billtrack/citizenship-amendment-bill-2019|title=The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019|date=2019-12-09|website=PRSIndia|language=en|access-date=2019-12-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/1688/Right-To-Equality--A-Fundamental-Right.html|title=Right to Equality|website=Legal Services India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/india/1636326/who-apart-from-human-beings-are-legal-persons-in-india/|title=Birds to holy rivers: A list of everything India considers 'legal persons'|date=2019-06-06|website=Quartz India|language=en|access-date=2019-12-14}}</ref> Its provisions have come up for discussion in the [[Supreme_Court_of_India|Supreme Court]] in a number of cases and the case of [https://indiankanoon.org/doc/685234/ Ram Krishna Dalmia vs Justice S R Tendolkar] reiterated its meaning and scope as follows. Article 14 permits classification, so long as it is 'reasonable', but forbids [https://www.gktoday.in/gk/what-is-meant-by-class-legislation/ '''class legislation''']. A classification of groups of people is considered reasonable when:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/685234/|title=Ram Krishna Dalmia vs Justice S R Tendolkar|website=India Kanoon}}</ref><br />
# The classification is based upon intelligible differentia that distinguishes persons or things that are grouped from others that are left out of the group, and,<br />
# The differential has a rational relation with the objective of the act.<br />
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In addition, the classification must be non-arbitrary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/betrayal-of-the-republic-citizenship-amendment-bill-6160572/|title=Religious basis of citizenship would be a negation of secularism, liberalism, equality and justice|date=2019-12-11|website=The Indian Express|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.ipleaders.in/doctrine-of-non-arbitrariness/|title=Doctrine of Non-Arbitrariness and Reasonable Classification|date=2019-09-13|website=iPleaders|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-12}}</ref> Supreme Court in [https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1327287/ E. P. Royappa (1973)] provided guidance on arbitrariness of an act:<blockquote>"Equality is a dynamic concept with many aspects and dimensions and it cannot be ‘cribbed, cabined and confined’ within the traditional and doctrinaire limits. From the positivistic point of view, equality is antithetic to arbitrariness. In fact, equality and arbitrariness are sworn enemies… Where an act is arbitrary, it is implicit that it is unequal both according to political logic and constitutional law and is therefore violative of Article 14."</blockquote><br />
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==Notes==<br />
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==References==<br />
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[[Category:Articles of the Constitution of India|014]]<br />
[[Category:Discrimination in India]]<br />
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